


Finding Happiness

by alafaye



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Asexual, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:29:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Concerned about Harry--because he only seems to spend time with Severus Snape when he isn't teaching--Hermione pays a visit to Headmistress McGonagal who has similar concerns about Severus. Together, the two plot to get Severus and Harry together because if neither man will date willingly--and in Harry's case, even flirt with the men Hermione introduces him to--then they must be perfect for one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2013 Snarry Fest at the LJ/DW/IJ community snape_potter.

Hermione and Ron's apartment was nice--homey, warm, inviting. Muggle photographs mixed with wizarding ones, books mismatched. Comfy seats and the fire in the grate bathed the room in a warm glow. Nevertheless, Harry missed his own rooms at Hogwarts where even in the summer, one needed the warmth of the fire to warm the cold stones; where magic was in the very air he breathed; and much as he missed his best friends, there was something to be said for the company of a certain potions master.

He supposed it said much about where his priorities lay.

Because there should really be no way that Harry was thinking longingly of Severus Snape and a shared bottle of brandy over a chess game or papers to be graded.

Especially when the man that Hermione had not-so-subtly, innocently invited to dinner was handsome. Very. And looking like he wanted nothing more than a quick fumble.

Harry sipped at his wine and feigned another smile. "No, teaching is actually very rewarding. Stressful, of course, but knowing that I am giving the students information and tools to help themselves is a very good motivator."

"But surely one needs some stress relief now and then," Marc coyly suggested. "Surely you don't only teach?"

Harry frowned. Had he been only talking about his job the entire night? He chanced a look at Hermione who raised a curious eyebrow. Harry cleared his throat. "Well...Hogsmeade is just a walk away. It has plenty of diversions."

"If you are of a certain age, yeah," Ron piped up. He had an arm across the back of the sofa he was sharing with Hermione, relaxed and yet clearly trying to get Harry to open up. 

"But I like going to get new books for classes and going into the antique shops," Harry defended. "It's...nice after a long week."

"No dates then?" Marc wheedled with a small pout.

Harry shrugged. "Not much for dating. Not sure I'm up to managing a relationship on top of the job."

"And yet you find plenty of time for Snape," Ron muttered into his own wine glass. Hermione's face was pinched.

"Snape?" Marc asked. "As in...Professor Snape?"

Harry flushed, suddenly finding the room a bit too hot. "I...well...yes."

"He still teaches there?" Marc shook his head. "Can't believe it. Thought he would have moved on now. Wasn't he there only because of Dumbledore and the war?"

Harry wisely bit his tongue, wondering who Marc thought he was talking to, and instead put his glass down as he stood. "Well. Ah, this was fun. We'll have to do it again. Nice meeting you, Marc. Hermione, Ron."

An awkward silence fell as Harry left the sitting room for the front door. He calmly collected his coat as Hermione whispered apologies and assurances; Ron was heard adding in his two cents as Harry closed the door. In the hallway, though, Hermione caught up with him.

"Harry," she hissed, stern and arms crossed over her chest. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Hermione."

She breathed in harshly through her nose. "How could you do that? I work with him--he's going to be insufferable now."

"What, because I was rude?" Harry asked.

"He was really interested, you know," she continued, as if he hadn't spoken. "I talk about you and he's really very nice, very interested in you. And then you just go and tell him you're not interested in a relationship."

"You could've told me," Harry interrupted. "Besides, this is the fourth person you've invited to dinner when I've come over."

She stiffened her shoulders. "So?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"I worry about you," she said. "Unless you've been keeping secrets again, you haven't been on a date in five years. And don't think I don't know that you and Ginny didn't have sex."

Harry blushed hotly. "Excuse me, what business is that of yours?"

She sighed. "Harry, don't get defensive on me. I only want you to be happy and not watch you give your life up for your job."

"Plenty of Victorian gentlemen lived their lives as bachelors," Harry argued.

"Victorians, sure. But, Harry, we're a century beyond that."

Harry scrubbed his face. "So what if I want to live my life as a bachelor? What's wrong with that?"

"It isn't healthy."

Harry shook his head. "Look, I'm happy for you and Ron. And everyone else who decides to commit to a relationship, to someone. I am. But that's not for everyone. I'm not saying I'll shut myself completely off from the possibility, but just leave it. Okay? Because I'm happy."

~~~

Headmistress McGonagal looked up from her paperwork at the sudden knock on her door. It was summer and there was no one who would interrupt her work. _Not even her dear boys,_ she thought fondly. Aside from herself, Harry and Severus were the only ones who remained for the holiday and they were probably in the library or their own rooms, reading and researching.

She cleared her throat. "Come in."

The door opened soundlessly and Hermione Granger poked her head in. "Professor?"

"Ms. Granger, come in," Minerva said with a beaming smile.

Hermione did, fiddling with her skirt as she had done in school when nervous. Minerva frowned. "Is there something wrong, my dear?"

Hermione licked her lips and sat in the chair before Minerva's desk. "It's about Harry."

"Harry?" Minvera folded her hands together. "What has he done now?"

"Well, that's the thing," Hermione said. "Nothing. I mean, maybe you know better than I, but I'm worried for him--that's he's lonely. And refuses to make any efforts to fix that."

Minerva hummed. "I don't often like to meddle in the affairs of my staff, Ms. Granger."

Hermione nodded. "I know. I wouldn't...but I've introduced him to four different men. Different occupations, different dispositions, different hobbies. Nothing, not one bit of interest or spark. He's been polite, but nothing more. Last time, he left abruptly. He works here, stays here for the holiday, and prefers to stick with wandering through Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley in his down time."

That...sounded oddly familiar. Minerva would certainly never play favorites, but she did find herself having tea a lot with Severus and had done for many years, even before she had become Headmistress. Severus had not shown romantic interest in anyone since Lily Potter and devoted his time to his research and potions.

"Aside from Ron and I, he spends most of his time with Snape," Hermione finished.

Oh, yes. Minerva had noted that friendship develop. And when she did talk with Severus...hmm. A plan began to unfurl in Minerva's mind. She slowly smiled and it seemed to put Hermione at ease. "I think I know exactly what to do. I shall need your help, of course."

Hermione smiled. "Of course. Whatever you need."

~~~

"Check mate," Harry said triumphantly. He sat back with a smug smile.

Severus glared at the board, at the chess pieces setting themselves back together. "Impossible."

Harry shrugged. "I won. Admit it."

Severus grunted and picked up his glass. "You're improving."

"Thanks to you," Harry pointed out. Many of their evenings passed in this fashion; Harry was bound to pick up tips and tricks.

Severus smiled, pleasantly, and settled more into his own chair. "I received a very interesting invitation the other day. From your friends."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Sorry?"

"For dinner," Severus finished. His eyes narrowed. "Would you know anything about that?"

Harry frowned. "That's odd. I got a letter from Hermione asking me to dinner and promising that she would not be doing anymore match-making."

"Match-making?" Severus repeated blankly. "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed. "She's been inviting men to dinner--single men. She's worried about me, that I'm going to become a lonely teacher whose only focus in life is my job."

Severus snorted. "You're young, Harry. You shouldn't be loosing yourself in this job."

Harry groaned. "Not you, too. Look, all right, so I'm not going out on dates all the time and I'm not encouraging attention, but what if I am happy this way?"

Severus was silent for a long time, lost in thought or memories. "You say that now, Harry, but you may not in ten years. That's a long time to be alone. And we are wizards--you have a lot of years ahead of you in which you'll be alone. A bachelor."

Harry closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I should've--"

"Don't. Please, Harry, don't. We're not discussing me."

Harry swallowed hard. "Then come to dinner? I think your dinner invite is the same as mine; maybe they're just hoping for a paired off night, even if you and I aren't together. Two bachelors against a couple."

"Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke," Severus grumbled.

Harry half smiled. "At least she's given up on match-making. If I had to politely sit through yet another dinner with some bloke she thinks is good for me..."

Severus chuckled. "She cares."

"That's fine, but she could've asked me."

Severus only hummed in thought. Outside, it had started raining during their chess match, but the fire kept his rooms dry. Harry wondered, not for the first time, about Severus--did he have friends outside Hogwarts? Had there ever been anyone in his life? And what about...sex? Harry knew that love and sex weren't mutually exclusive, so perhaps Severus only had had casual liasons. Maybe? Or was Severus like Harry--preferring to not have the hassel that sex brought? To Harry, it was just too much work for something so small. He understood Severus' cautions, but Harry was happier like this, living as a bachelor.

Harry cleared his throat. "Severus, I--we're friends, right?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Friends? Hmm, friends." He took a deep breath and nodded. "Friendship implies two people who care about one's another welfare, likes to spend time in one another's company, share pleasant memories. Yes, I think we are friends, Harry."

Something warm settled in Harry's chest at Severus' words, but he pressed on, even knowing that he could upset some bad memories for Severus and abruptly end what was an otherwise pleasant evening. "I just wonder. Please tell me to bugger off and mind my own business, but...was there...ever anyone for you?"

Severus' turned to Harry, eyes dark. "Other than Lily, you mean?" At Harry's nod, Severus took a deep breath. "Once. Before the end of the war. I was in Ireland, doing the last leg of my course to become a Master. It was summer, like so many other fairy tales of this kind, and she was beautiful, clever, brilliant. We were in the same program, going through the same stress and it just happened. There were many long days and nights spent together. But then the summer ends as it will do and her family betrothed her. She had no choice as her family was in such a position of power that they could not only strip her of her inheritance, but also black list her from ever having a respectable job. I never heard from her again."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, looking away.

Severus let out a deep breath that was anything but cleansing. "It was a long time ago. I've...put it in the past."

A heavy silence fell. Harry licked his lips. He wanted to ease the atmosphere, but he didn't have the ability to direct a conversation in the blink of an eye. Plus, he was too curious by half. "Are you lonely then? I mean, you said--"

"I have Hogwarts and my research," Severus interrupted. "My collegeaus, you. Minerva. I'm not quite that lonely."

Harry cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To bachelorhood, then."

Severus recipocated and half smiled, but it was a self-defeating smile. Harry's heart broke, just a little, at the sadness in Severus' face and wondered if maybe, just maybe, Hermione might have a point.

~~~

Harry narrowed his eyes when he walked into The Three Broomsticks. In the back table, Hermione and Ron were waiting for them. And so were about half a dozen other couples. Some of them from their own graduating class, but there were two around Severus' age, likely co-workers of Hermione's.

"I'm beginning to sense a theme," Harry muttered to Severus.

Severus was glaring at the table and the assembled couples. "It's amazing you ever won the war, Harry, with an observation like that."

Harry huffed. "Want to cut out?"

"And miss this opportunity?" Severus offered dryly. "Yes, please."

And despite Hermione waving at them, they both turned away from the pub and back into the streets. It was early afternoon so the shops were still open and they nodded to various shoppers who were out enjoying the nice weather.

"She swore to me that she gave up on match-making," Harry grumbled.

"It seems she lied," Severus argued. "Imagine that."

Harry shook his head. "And Minerva is in on it. I can't believe...why do you think they're doing this?"

"They want us to be happy," Severus began. "And outside of the other professors and your friends, neither of us do much socializing. I'm sure it seemed logical to encourage us to pair off _together_ than try to find someone they think is suited to us. After all, if we can share innumerable conversations and late nights, why should love not be able to bloom?"

"Love doesn't work like that," Harry muttered.

Severus hummed thoughtfully. "A great number of old fashioned marriages I believe happened in such a way."

"It's a different century," Harry argued back.

Severus was quiet. Almost...pointedly. "Is it so impossible?"

Harry stopped dead in the street and turned to face Severus. Severus who was looking away at the ground, body rigid. "Severus?"

Severus cleared his throat. "It is clear that they think we are a good match given the numerous dinners and teas our friends have invited us to--together. When I began to suspect that this is what they were doing, I thought about it. It would not...be undesirable. No, Harry, do not give me empty platitudes about how love and relationships are different creatures to friendship, that such things should be more than undseirable. Of all the men I know, you are the one that first comes to mind when it comes to having a sensible approach to a relationship."

Harry digested those words, turned them over and over in his head. Thought about Severus, their nights in his rooms or Severus'. 

"I also suspect that like myself, the idea of sex is...well, better left to others, yes?" Severus finished.

"But you said--that girl," Harry stammered.

Severus blushed and cleared his throat. "Youth is for experimentation, is it not? I found, in retrospect, that what I loved most about spending time with her was not spent in bed, but in other activities."

Harry was a virgin, but not for lack of offers. It wasn't so much the hassel as he had told Severus weeks ago, but just...it didn't appeal. He had been first interested when he had been with Ginny, but over time, in retrospect like Severus, Harry found that their physical activites paled in comparison to the lazy time spent together doing nothing at all.

"What are you saying then?" Harry asked quietly.

Severus finally looked up, face open. "If you would consider a sexless, romantic relationship with me."

Possibilities opened in Harry's mind, their friendship intact but full of loving touches, maybe a kiss or two. Sharing a life with Severus as other romantic partners did. Harry had told Hermione he would not shut himself to the possibility and here was Severus, offering one. Even better--it asked nothing more of him than more of what he was already giving to someone he liked.

But did he--could he--like Severus romantically?

Harry held out his hand, slowly. "I think...it would be nice to try."

Severus slowly smiled.

~~~

Minerva smiled as she approached Harry's quarters. She could hear the low, even tones of Severus' voice--it sounded as if he was reading something. She knocked on the door which opened. She raised an eyebrow when there was no one there, but she did find Harry and Severus curled up on Harry's couch. Severus' had his reading glasses on, book open in front of him; Harry was holding a glass of something and his feet were curled up around Severus' hips.

They looked completely comfortable--one of them had likely used a spell to open the door rather than be disturbed. She cleared her throat. "I apologise--I should have thought--"

"We wanted you to see," Severus said. "After all, you should get to see the evidence of a plan that succeeded, yes?"

Harry was blushing, just the tiniest bit, but he looked defiant. Minerva recovered her composure. "We only wanted you to be happy."

Harry turned to Severus with a small smile which Severus returned. "We were, but we do appreciate the efforts that were put in to see to more happiness. Thank you. Now, please, we were getting to the interesting bits."

She nodded. "Very well. I bid you good night gentlemen."

When the door closed again, she smirked. She would have to send an owl to Ms. Granger. That went better than they could have hoped.

~~~

Harry rolled his head back against the arm of the couch with a sigh. "I hope they leave us alone now."

Severus laid his hand on Harry's ankle. "We can but hope. Now, where were we?"

"You said something about the interesting bit?" Harry offered.

"Oh, yes," Severus muttered. "The part where we discover that the innocent cook is not quite that innocent."

Harry smiled as he listened to Severus' voice, the soothing tone and enjoyed the lingering touch. There was no pressure here and it only felt like any other evening they had spent together. Maybe--just maybe--he would send a thank you note and a small gift to Minerva and Hermione.


End file.
